Steam-trap.



No. 690,343. Patented Dec. 3|, |901, D. ARTHUR.

STEAM TRAP.

(Application med Hay 20, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

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(I0 Model.)

N0. 690,343. Patented De.'3|, l90l.

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w STEAM TRAP.

(Application leduay 20, 1901. (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W W/TNESSES.' (NVE/WUR wlmk., By I ATTHNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT Trice.

DANIEL ARTHUR, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO TIMOTHY J. KIELEY AND FREDERICK T. MUELLER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

STEAM-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 690,343, dated December 31, 1901. Application filed May 20, 1901. Serial No. 60,997. (No model.)

To all whom, it' may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL ARTHUR, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of NewYork, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have made and invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Traps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in steam-traps, and more particularly to that kind generally known and referred to as eX- pansion-traps, the object of the same being to provide a device of this character wherein a pipe expanding by reason of the passage of steam through it will operate upon the arm of a toggle to close la valve and wherein the motion of the expanding pipe may be increased or multiplied as desired.

A further object of my invention is to produce a trap of this character which shall consist of but few and inexpensive parts easily and readily assembled and compact in form and which will be effective, certain, and sensitive in its operations.

With these and other ends in view my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations ot' parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, and poi nted out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a View of my improved expansion-trap, partly in section and partly in elevation, showing the valve in its closed position. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the valve in its open position. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are views of modifications.

The principle involved in my improved device is the utilization of the expansive force of the metal applied to the end of a deiiectin gtoe at an angle of less than forty-live degrees, whereby may be obtained an increased motion for the operation of the valve, the motion being increased or decreased in accordance with the decrease or increase of the angle of the deflecting-toe with the line of applied force. This principle may be embodied in traps of various forms, differing from each other, however, in matters of detail only. After various experiments I prefer to use the form shown in Figs. l and 2, wherein A represents a section of metal pipe, preferably of brass by reason of its expansibility, and the ends of which are threaded into the cast-iron headers B C, the former havingalso threaded therein the steam-inlet pipe D and the latter a valve E, communicating with said pipe A. The lower ends of the headers have also threaded therein the tie-rod F, which serves,

as hereinafter explained, to preserve the lower ends in their proper relative positions during the separation of the upper ends of the headers by reason of the expansion of the pipe A. Into the inlet header B is threaded one end of the rod or lever G, having ata suitable point in its length a turnbuckle H for properly adjusting the length of the same, the opposite end of said lever G being provided with a recess or cavity a to receive and contain the end b of the togglearm or deflecting -toe I, the upper end of which deflecting-toe rests in a cavity formed to receive the same in the upper end c of the outlet-header O, the latter being provided with a hole or opening d through it for the passage of the lever G, said hole or opening D being suciently elongated t0 allow of the vertical movement of that respective end of said lever G.

The valve E is of the ordinary construction, consisting of Aa casing threadedinto the outlet-header O and containing the vertical moving valve e, formed on or secured to the valve-stem f, and having below it a spring g for raising the same when the pressure on the valve is released. Having fully described the construction and arrangement of this form of trap, I will now describe its operation: Steam being admitted into the pipe A, it is expanded in its length, the expansive force tending to separate the headers B C, which being locked or tied at their lower ends by reason of the rod F are forced apart at their upper ends, the movement of these headers being practically the same as though pivoted at their lower ends and free at their upper ends,the distance traveled by the upper ends of said headers being dependent upon their length and the increase in length of the pipe A due to its eX- pansion. It will be readily understood, however, that the upper ends will separate or ICO move in a path much greater than at their centers, at'about which points the Asaid pipe A is threaded therein, the movement thereof or the distance traveled thereby being multiplied-in proportion to the length or height of said headers. The movement or separation of the upper ends of the headers isimparted through the toggle-arm ordei'lecting-toe I to the free endof the lever G, whichl is caused to move downwardly and bearing on the upper end of the valve-stem fforces the latter downwardly and the valve e upon its seat, thereby closing the same, the downward movement of the end of said lever G being increased or decreased by the angle of the dedecting-toe I. The more nearly the said toe I becomes parallel with the lever G the greateris the downward movement of the end of said lever, or, in other words, the more nearly the axis of said toe coincides with the line of force the greater will be the multiplication of motion. When the pipe A is cooled by reason of the closing oft of the steam and the admission thereto of water of condensation, the consequent contraction of said pipe allows the headers to resume their normal positions, as indicated in Fig. 2, the upper ends thereof slightly approaching each other, whereupon, the pressure exerted by the detlecting-toe I on the free end of the lever G being relieved, said free end of the lever rises and permits the spring g to raise and open the valve e, the water of condensation being allowed egress through the outlet-pipe L. This water of condensation being discharged, steam again enters the pipe A, which by reason of its expansion again closes the valve, as before described.

It will be evident to those skilled in the art that instead of having the device so arranged that the valve will seat downwardly, as before described, it may be arranged to seat upwardly, as illustrated in Fig. 4, wherein 2 represents the expansion-pipe; 3, the tie-rod; 4, the lever; 5, the inlet-header; 6, the out- 1et-header,and 7 the valve,having a dischargepipe 8. In this instance the valve-stem 9 is secured to the outer free end 10 of the lever 4, adapted to be raised and lowered thereby. The valve proper, 11, is arranged to close on the seat12 as the lever 10 rises and open for the discharge of the water of condensation when said leveris lowered. To effect this change in the direction of movement of the valve-stem, the lower end of the deflecting-toe 13 rests in the cavity formed in the outlet-header 6 and the upper end of said toe in a recess formed in said lever 4 nearits outer free end, the result being that when the upper ends of the headers are separated by reason of the expansion of the pipe 2 the deIiecting-toe 13 directs the lever 4 upwardly, thereby closing the valve, being the reverse of that as illustrated in Figs. l and 2. When the pipe 2 contracts, the lever 4 is allowed to lowerand resume its normal position, the valve-stem and valve being also lowered thereby and the water of condensation allowed to pass out through the discharge-pipe 8. It will also'be evident that the position of the valve may be changed, as illustrated in Fig. 5, wherein it is shown connected to the expansion-pipe 14 and outletheader 15 and adapted to be closed by the downward movement of the valve-stem 16. When arranged in this manner, the lower ends of the headers 15 17 will be connected by means of the tie-rod 18 for retaining them in their proper relative positions, as in the instance before described. To the upper end of the inlet-header 17 is secured one end of ythe lever 19, the opposite free end passing through -an opening formed in the header 15 and having attached thereto the upper end of the deflecting-toe 20, the lower end engaging with the free end of the lever 21, pivoted at its opposite end to the header 15, the free end of said lever 21 bearing on the upper end of the valve-stem 16. This device operates in all material respects the same as those already described, the expansion of the pipe 14 causing the upper ends of the headers to separate, this motion being imparted through the detlecting-toe 2O and lever 2l to the valvestem 16, which being lowered thereby closes the valve to cut off the steam. If desired, an adjusting-screw 22 may be inserted in the upper end of the header to impinge against the free end of the lever 19, whereby the height of the latter and the angle of the detiecting-toe 20 will be nicely adjusted.

From the foregoing it will be understood that my improved trap is exceedingly simple in its construction and arrangement, that the parts are few in number and easily and readily assembled, and that by increasing the length of the headers and also by adjusting the position of the detlecting-toe with relation to the lever the motion of the'separating-headers may be increased or multiplied as desired, the device exerting the greatest power when the valve reaches its seat.

Havingfully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- Y 1. In an expansion steam-trap, the combination with an expansive pipe, of a valve and valve-stem, a lever running lengthwise of said pipe and secured at one end, the opposite end engaging with said valve-stein, and a deflecting-toe, secured at one end, and engaging at its opposite end with said lever, whereby the direction of the movement of the latter, caused by the expansion of the pipe,- is changed to operate said valve-stem, substantially as described.

2. In an expansion steam-trap, the combination with an expansive pipe, of a valve and valve-stem, a lever running lengthwise of said pipe and secured at one end,- the opposite end being free to engage with said valvestem, and a deflecting-toe pivoted at one end, and the opposite end engaging with the free end of said lever, and at an angle of less than forty-tive degrees, whereby the direction of ICO IIO

operating to close saidvaive, and a deecting-toe, one end of which engages one of said headers, andthe opposite end engaging the free end of said lever for directing the movement thereof, substantially as described.

s Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 17th day zo of May, A. D. 1901.

DANIEL ARTHUR.

l Witnesses: y

GEORGE COOK, M. VAN NoRTwIoK. 

